Re: Airush Union III: Throw Loops, Throw Spray, & Throw It Down

The bar is neater - yup - you need a tool now, but you know, I didn't adjust the bar at all last year - best to disassemble and clean to stop it clogging every few months - but most people don't touch the bar length. 14m+ may need the bigger bar, but it flies fine without the extenders and now a lot of us are foiling 12 is as far as we go...

I wouldn't try to pull these arguments when even F-One has came with with an adjustable (tool less) bar and none other bar on the market (North, Core, LF, Naish, Cabrinha) requires anything more complex than some good-old hands dexterity to change where lines are attached.

I used to adjust my bar a lot, but since some of my kites also require switching the pigtail, I ended up picking up another bar which lives mostly set on to the narrow setting except when I'm surfing and want to have a little more reactivity from these kites.

And honestly - I'd hate to haut all the gear to a spot, get pumping and then realize that I have to go back to my car (wherever it may be on this particular spot), because I need a stupid tool to set my bar where I want it to be.

Most things in this life don't have to be more complicated than they need to be. I'd love to have a chat with the 2018 Airush bar designer about what he/she was thinking, or better yet - with the man above who gave a go to this brilliant idea.

Totally agree. Shocking that they went from a decent bar, although a bit fiddly with the loose tube grip extensions, to a bar that requires a tool when there are so many designs out there already by competitors. Many which you can change with the kite in the air. I change my bar constantly as I have my break point between my 7 and my 9 where iI want the longer bar already on my Wave 9 to get a faster kite in the waves.

Re: Airush Union III: Throw Loops, Throw Spray, & Throw It Down

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:13 pm

by alexeyga

Who ever this dude is, he does a better job at presenting the kite than the whole Airush's marketing team of cactus-smokers...

Re: Airush Union III: Throw Loops, Throw Spray, & Throw It Down

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 3:58 pm

by alexeyga

Had a chance to play with the 2018 bar at our local dealer:
-There is no more width adjustment in the bar's ends as such.
-The only way to adjust the width now - is with these tube inserts which are held in place by setscrews (instead of the old push-buttons). So now, not only you have to have a an allen key (FCS fins key will do) with you, but the tubes as well.

Also compared the clam-cleat version vs the regular pull-pull one:
-Clam-cleat version sacrifices a bit (about 4") of the bar throw, but the trimmer's length is huge in comparaison to other clam-cleat bars, basically when you pull it in fully - you will be left with an easy 3ft of rope dongling around or half of that if you snap the handle onto the velcro tab.

I kinda see the reason why our local dealer got stocked up on previous year bars...

Re: Airush Union III: Throw Loops, Throw Spray, & Throw It Down

Had a chance to play with the 2018 bar at our local dealer:
-There are no more width adjustment in the bar ends as such.
-The only way to adjust the width now - is with these tube inserts which are held in place by setscrews (instead of the old push-buttons). So now, not only you have to have a an allen key (FCS fins key will do) with you, but the tubes as well.

Seems silly but what's wrong with small bar? I have never had issues flying bigger kite on smaller bar? Even looping 12m isn't an issue.
Maybe depends on type of kite.

I guess for unhooking you might want to make it really small and to make underpowered session a bit less annoying incease bar length? Never really noticed kite being slow on smaller bar. Never really crank bar that much.

Re: Airush Union III: Throw Loops, Throw Spray, & Throw It Down

Seems silly but what's wrong with small bar? I have never had issues flying bigger kite on smaller bar? Even looping 12m isn't an issue.
Maybe depends on type of kite.

I guess for unhooking you might want to make it really small and to make underpowered session a bit less annoying incease bar length? Never really noticed kite being slow on smaller bar. Never really crank bar that much.

It depends where you're coming from. I've used and I own Airush bars from different years and what they've came up with for 2018 just doesn't make any sense from any angle (vs previous years and others "standard 4-lines" bars on the market" today).

As far as the width adjustment goes, some people find it useful (I do), some don't. I like to fly big kites on wide bars, small kites on narrow ones and it's really nice when I can do either using the same bar.

Just yesterday I was riding my 9 on the narrow setting but looping was kinda awkward due to gutless wind, had to really make a mental effort to almost fish-pole that bar in order to get timely loops... so during a break I've re-adjusted the bar (tool - f@#$ing - free!!!) to the wider setting and it felt a lot better, more predictable and stable.

Re: Airush Union III: Throw Loops, Throw Spray, & Throw It Down

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 8:15 pm

by knotwindy

Agree with small kites, small bars. Big kites, big bars. Nice to be able to adjust width especially when traveling so you have a backup bar for either size if one bar gets damaged. Not a huge deal but nicer. Also, more tools sux

Re: Airush Union III: Throw Loops, Throw Spray, & Throw It Down

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 8:19 pm

by MrWolf

alexeyga, You are pretty angry about this huh.

Had a look at it at the local shop.
My retailer that the reason they went in this direction is because of the reduction of bar diameter and the different material use inside replacing the aluminum.
Therefore they couldn't use the pin system. I haven't touched my 52cm bar setting on the entire size spectrum.
The 50cm width seems to be a compromise from the 52/45cm bar. I'll probably just have one set to 50 and the second spare set to 60, like knotwindy suggested.
Not a deal breaker, I need two bars in my quiver 4 kite quiver. Doesn't make sense to end your session from a broken/stolen/missing bar.

I am sure they have heard your concerns that you made on here and from your retailer of wanting the pin or instant-change bar adjustment back again.